My Travel Essentials

Travelling is an absolute passion of mine, and I find myself doing it quite frequently these days.

As this is now a regular occurrence I feel like I have mastered the art of being prepared! So, I thought I would kindly share some tips with you 🙂

Here’s my advice on being prepared for taking off!

Decide what you are going to take with you in advance:

Having a mental idea of what you want to pack is always good, and writing it down will help as it will avoid last-minute panic, and packing! I always like to be packed (or at least have everything I’m going to take put out to one side) a few days in advance of me traveling (especially long haul) I’m quite a busy bee so the further in advance I’m prepared, the better!

If you’re travelling long haul for a week or more, it might be a little tricky trying to plan every outfit you will wear for each day and night, unless you are super organised! I always pack what I know I will wear, and then what I might wear if I have enough room.

If you’re travelling with hand luggage only it’s probably a good idea to know exactly what you’ll wear for the duration of your trip (It’s probably a short one if you’re going with hand luggage only anyway). Taking something where you can alternate a different look is handy, like a pair of jeans with a couple of different tops, and then your outfits for the evenings.

I like to change up my money before I travel, as the rates are much better. Thomas Exchange Global in London seem to do the best rates for travel money so I tend to go there. They have a few different branches and there are always queues as they are that good! It’s always good to compare against other travel exchange branches too.

It’s a good idea to purchase Travel Insurance wherever you are flying to, it will save a lot of hassle in case something was to happen whilst you were away.

If you are travelling to a country that requires a visa then make sure you read their regulations for this online before you travel, and that you are prepared.

In your luggage:

Make sure you have all your essentials and necessities packed accordingly. I usually pack my underwear at the side of my case, and everything else in the main compartment.

Rolling your clothes is a good idea as it creates more room. Having your shoes placed on top of your clothing as well makes it easier to pack.

If you’re going somewhere and you know you’re going to do some shopping it’s always good to leave a little room and pack a little less, I most certainly end up shopping wherever I go!

Love these packing cubes

Packing toiletries can be quite tricky – you don’t want to overload as it can weigh down your suitcase, and if you’re travelling with hand luggage you can only have up to 100ml per item, which is rather annoying (for me anyway!) Taking products that are smaller in size means you are more likely to use them up whilst you’re away, and then you can throw them out once done to create extra room (for cheeky purchases!) hehe.

As you can only have up to 100ml of liquid items per item in hand luggage, pack accordingly, and place the products in one plastic sealed bag. If you go over more than the one bag you’ll be asked to throw some things away – it happened to me before and was a nightmare! I had to end up re-purchasing a few items in the terminal.

I’ve heard at some airports they provide a service now where you can order your toiletries before you leave and pick them up on the day you fly, I think it’s quite handy and will save you a lot more room in your luggage.

Weigh your luggage before leaving for the airport. This will save a lot of hassle when at the airport – if you’re over the limit the last thing you want is waste time and effort taking things out of your suitcase and finding an alternative for them. I use normal weighing scales to weigh my case, or you can invest in travel scales which are very handy as they are compact and you can travel with them. They’re not expensive either, you can purchase them for under £10.

In your handbag:

Make sure you have all your main essentials such as your passport, phone and money.

I like to keep my make-up bag in my handbag so I can touch up on board before landing. I also keep perfume and deodorant in there so I always smell fresh! If you’re travelling long haul it’s important to keep your skin hydrated and fresh. It’s probably ideal to take off your make up in flight, and re-apply it before landing. You can use face wipes or a make-up remove (I use micellar water).

Take something to read such as a magazine or book. Always good for the journey and the lazing on the beach or by the pool 😉

Take your earphones so you can listen to your music. Always good to zone out 🙂

I always take my diary and a note pad for any inspirational moments.

I am completely obsessed with hand sanitizer, like totally obsessed! It kills bacteria, and there’s lots of that flying around public transport, so this goes everywhere with me! I also keep hand cream in my bag to keep my hands soft.

Always take a jumper and socks for the plane. It tends to get quite chilly on board, my feet in particular get very cold so I like to keep them warm and toasty. Both items will help you to feel more relaxed in flight.

Most importantly DO NOT forget your passport!

At the airport:

I tend to wear causal and comfortable clothes when travelling to the airport. Jeans, a nice top and pumps usually work for me as they are trendy but comfortable. A lot of people like to completely dress down when travelling so they can feel comfortable on bored.

I’ve yet to have had the pleasure of being upgraded on a flight, but I’ve heard this is more likely to happen the smarter you look, so I would avoid wearing tracksuits to the airport. You can always change into these (top, bottom or both) once you get on the plane.

Make sure you get to the airport on time. I’m not the type of person that can get to the airport an hour before my flight as I’d be panicking like mad!

I tend to get to the airport about 3 hours before my flight departs. It may sound crazy but it gives me enough time to check in and drop my bags, go through security, relax and get a coffee or something to eat, do a bit of shopping of course, and then get to the gate. I really don’t like hurrying as it leaves me flustered and panicked and thinking I may have forgotten to do something.

You never know what may happen on your way to the airport too if you leave it later to leave, you may get stuck in traffic or there may be delays on the trains, so you should always give yourself plenty of time. You’ll feel a lot a better.

And last but not least, switch off, relax, unwind and look forward to your break 🙂

Sarah x

Guest writer blogging at www.styleornothing.co.uk

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